Elemental Knowledge
by RainFalling0
Summary: Born from two different worlds, Serenity and Darien meet under extreme circumstances. Not knowing who she is, Serenity must struggle with her own identity and her love for Darien while he tries to overcome his insecurities as he spends more time with Serenity. Born with certain abilities, they will make friends, fall in love, and make their own path together. Rating may go up.
1. Chapter 1: Two Souls

Almost 500 years ago, the human race had faced a great calamity. A vicious plague had swept up the Earth and decimated nearly half of the world's population. Because of a few scientists, they managed to stay the destruction, but the mentality of humans never recovered. People began to fear whether the sickness would mutate and come again. So money was poured into science as scientists were given funds to improve medication, technology, and the overall lifestyle of the human race. But a few groups of humans shied away from the cold, rationality of technology. These people saw the science world as a double-edged sword. Using rationality as a guide, the pompous scientists were selfish, greedy, and capable of great evil or great compassion. Instead, these outside sects sought out the wisdom from within the Earth. But they were in no means uneducated or weak. They used the natural substances of the earth to survive, and they created their own colonies as a system of organization and trade. As time passed, things were peaceful for them. The people who lived in the big cities were nicknamed Metallics for the metals they used and the other nature groups were called Ghosts, for the quiet way they lived their lives.

This story is set in this time. It is a simple tale of romance and compromise, of friendship and survival. There are always villains in every story, and hardship. But human nature is predictable, and so there is always hope. Hope for love and hope for life.

* * *

"THWACK!"

An arrow hit the trunk of a tree as it missed its target, a deer that was running away from its hunter. A man cursed as he notched another arrow into his bowstring and he chased after his prey. It was his personal mission to bring back meat for his wife and newborn child. He knew his siblings would care for his wife, but he wanted to bring food back just for her. Although it had been hours since he had started stalking his prey, he was resolute in his determination to catch that particular deer. His pride would not allow him otherwise. As he quickly climbed a tree for better vision, he said a quick prayer of thanks to the forest and the trees. The man quickly sat down on a thick bough and looked around for the deer. He saw it, running towards the river. He raised his bow, aimed, and fired. The deer sank from his line of vision as his arrow hit home. He ran to the now dead deer, and said another prayer of thanks, but this time to the spirit of the deer. He tied its legs and swung it around his back. The man left with his load, finally making his way home.

Night had fallen and the man walked into his home. He was part of a Ghost village, one of the smaller villages in the area. He gave the deer carcass to his parents and sisters, then went over to his wife and child. He kneeled at her bedside, taking her hand in his.

"Are you alright Luna? I am back with food. I hope you have not waited too long." He smiled a lopsided smile as he looked endearingly at the love of his life.

The woman named Luna looked up at her husband and gave a quiet smile. Putting a hand on his cheek, she replied, "I have been waiting for you, my love. Welcome back." She then turned towards her baby girl and asked, "What should we name her?"

Her husband Artemis looked at his baby daughter with pride. "How about Serenity? After the goddess of the moon. She has a crescent shaped moon birthmark on her foot."

"Serenity…" Luna whispered. She snuggled her child, who then began to cry. Chuckling, Luna brought the child to her breast to be fed as Artemis went to help his father prepare the deer meat.

* * *

In a Metallic city 50 kilometers away from the village, a young toddler was trying to lift a decorative sword. It was a broadsword, and much too heavy for the child, but he tried anyways, not knowing his parents were hiding behind the wall watching. They laughed quietly between themselves as their son grunted and panted while trying to lift the sword from the ground.

"Look at him. Only three years old and trying to lift that sword Lucas." the wife whispered quietly so that her son would not hear.

"We should begin to follow his progress on matters of strength and intelligence. He is much more active than the books say." the father said as he pushed his glasses up higher on his nose. He was a well-to-do scientist, working on various projects for weaponry and defense. His wife Gaia nodded. She understood her husband's desire to monitor the progress of their son Darien. She was a nurse at a nearby hospital and wanted to be sure her child would always be safe and healthy. Gaia watched as Lucas went into his study for machines, monitors, and charts. She walked out so that her son could see her and grabbed him playfully from the floor. He laughed as he was flung into the air and caught by his mother. Darien looked into his mother's eyes and saw love. He cuddled closer to her, and they both watched as Darien's father brought all his equipment out into the living room.

"Now Darien. We are going to play a game. Stay as still as possible while Dad puts on these stickers and you get a prize in the end, okay?" Lucas cooed as he tried to bribe his child. Darien nodded and sat quietly as the floor for a good fifteen minutes as his father made notes and calculated anything and everything. After Lucas was done, he put his equipment back and picked Darien up. As if by magic, he brought out a small vitamin. It was specifically for children, a health supplement that had the gummy taste that toddlers enjoyed. Darien knew what the treat was, and quickly put it in his mouse. He giggled in happiness and then promptly fell asleep. Lucas gave Darien to Gaia as he went back into his office, and Gaia took Darien to his bedroom, tucking him in.


	2. Chapter 2: An Unexpected Meeting

"Serenity, come back! It is getting dark and your sister will be home soon!" Luna cried out. Her ever-mischevious daughter had once again run off to play with the other children in the village. Since it had been several years since her eldest daughter, Raye, had joined the guild of a faraway to be a swordswoman, Serenity was the only daughter Luna had left at home. Raye had been training under another warrior, by the name of Jadeite. Jadeite had finally decided that Mina was more than capable to be on her own and no longer needed his guidance so she was on her way home. While Rei had sent letters regarding her triumphs as her prestige as an archer had increased, Luna did not miss her oldest child any less. Raye looked very different from Serenity. Raye had hair as black as night and tanned skin while Serenity with her silver hair, blue eyes, and fair skin was regarded as a boon from the spirits. Ghost villagers rarely had fair skin because of the amount of time they spent outside, but Serenity had always stayed pale, like the moon. Luna also noticed how the moonlight seemed to follow her daughter during the night, as if to protect the young woman. Children and animals flocked to her for her gentle spirit.

However, with such a gift came great danger. Several times, other men from other villages had tried to take Serenity, through force or through marriage. It was only because of the protection of her family that Serenity had managed to stay safe. Traditionally, a man and woman would only be wed if both were in mutual agreement. Because marriage is a choice of life, parents could not interfere. Of course there were unhappy marriages, but for the most part, most couples were content with their partners. Serenity wanted a marriage like her parents, one of love. But she was forbidden from leaving the small village by her parents because her family knew the dangers her beauty would lure.

While not knowing the danger she attracted, Serenity did know that she was different. At a young age, she had seen images of things no one else could see. She never told anyone because she did not want to frighten her family. About two years ago, Serenity crept out of her home without her parents' knowledge and gone to the waterfall nearby. She had found it by accident a few days ago while picking herbs for her mother. Serenity realized then that the golden flecks that had always been in her vision were actually the spirits of the dead. They were easier to see out in nature. She meditated and was eventually able to converse with the spirits, who then taught her to use nature through spirit possession. In theory, because some spirits were nature spirits, such as a tree spirit or water spirit, Serenity could become one with that spirit and use its natural abilities as her own. With practice, Serenity was able to control the elements of water and earth to a minor degree.

And so, on a night that seemed the same as any other night, Serenity snuck out again from her home. She quietly ran to her waterfall and began her nightly ritual of meditation. However, a man from a nearby village had followed her. He had heard of her beauty and wanted to court her. He was the village's strongest warrior and thought he should have only the best woman as his wife. The man, Lionus, was eager to introduce himself to the fair maiden and made a noise within the bushes to alert Serenity of his presence. As expected, she quickly turned around to look at whatever was making the noise. Seeing he had her attention, Lionus stepped out from the forest into the clearing. He bowed and said in a low timbre, "Greetings, my lady Serenity. What a fine night to be out."

Serenity looked at him puzzled. Who was this stranger disturbing her peace? Her head cocked slightly to the side, Serenity continued to look at him and said nothing.

"My fair maiden, have you no words to give to me? Isn't it rude to not answer when a suitor inquires?" Lionus attempted to guilt Serenity to speak to him. Serenity merely curtsied, then turned around to face the waterfall again. With her back turned to him, she replied quietly, "Why are you here?"

Lionus broke out into a grin, pleased he had gotten a response from her. "My lady, I only wished to meet you and, as fate would have it, I came upon you tonight. My name is Lionus and I wish to marry you."

From his view, he saw her shoulders shaking. He thought she was crying of happiness. He stepped closer to her, but Serenity sidestepped and turned to look at him. She was laughing at him.

"Lionus, was it? I am sorry, but I have no desire to court or be courted. I want to stay with my family and village a little longer. And besides, why should I consider your proposal? Many men have asked for my hand and I have not yet accepted one. Why should you be an exception?"

Lionus puffed out his chest proudly. "Because I am the best man. I am the strongest and can provide for you and our future family."

Serenity shook her head. "Ah, the male mind. How fascinating it is. How proud you are. But I reject your offer. Now please, leave me alone. I must reflect in the moonlight."

Lionus stood shocked. A second rejection. With almost no space between breaths to say his own thoughts. Lionus tried to control his temper, but it snapped out of his control. Angrily, he stomped towards her, and grabbed her arm. He forced Serenity to look at him in the face. She held an apathetic look, as if she could not see him. But he could feel her shivering slightly in fear. He growled and tightened his grip. Serenity winced, and looked at Lionus with scornful eyes.

"Unhand me. I will not ask again," she said quietly, her voice shaking with panic. There was a storm brewing in her eyes.

Lionus let out a bark of laughter. "What can you do as weak as you are? It is a good thing I prepared for this. I have heard of your stubbornness, Serenity. It is well known throughout the villages. But, I have promised my village that I will marry you and so I shall. Come, you are going with me to my village." He pulled her arm, trying to drag her with him. Serenity struggled as he dragged her to his horse.

"I said unhand me!" Serenity screamed. Fearful of the impending danger, Serenity was not able to call the spirits to her in her usual, patient manner. She instinctively possessed a nearby grass spirit, and made the grassy vines twine around the man and wrap around his entire body. Forced to let go in order to grab his weapon, Lionus struggled with the vines.

"What have you done? Are you a witch? You should be burned for this! Make the grass go away!" roared Lionus. He was frantically swinging at the grass with his axe, while trying to reach for Serenity. Serenity was trying to calm herself down, but with the man yelling at her and threatening her, she was unable to control her powers as it went berserk. She cried out as a headache erupted from all the chaotic power bursting out of her. In order to escape the grass and the pain, she ran away holding her head. Unaware of the direction she was going and half-blinded by the pain, Serenity ran too far. She fell off a cliff, straight into the river below.

"Serenity!" was the only sound that could be heard as she was carried and dragged by the current.

* * *

Darien had snuck out of the city. There was technically a curfew, but he always managed to sneak past the walls because of a crack he had found that went through to the other side. With time, he had managed to dig a tunnel large enough for him to sneak out whenever he wanted to.

As Darien was outside in the woods, he reflected on his life. Darien had his father's pitch-black hair and his mother's sapphire eyes. Unfortunately, that was the only thing he had left of his mother. She had passed away when he was about ten years old. While driving to work, a drunk man crashed his car into her mini Cooper and she was brought to the emergency room. She survived that accident, only to discover that she had a type of bone cancer when the doctors later took x-rays. It was a painful and long process for Darien and Lucas watching Gaia waste away as the cancer slowly spread to the rest of her body. It had been too late to stop the process and she died a few months after the accident. After this traumatic passing, Darien's father retreated into his study. The only time his father interacted with Darien after Gaia's death was to either conduct his monthly physical checkups on his son or occasionally beat him out of a drunken stupor. Lucas had become an alcoholic and was now slowly dying as the alcohol remained in his system, slowly shutting down his organs. Nowadays, he was either at the home unable to move or in the hospital for professional assistance. Because of this, Darien had grown up essentially alone. He avoided people out of anger and relied completely on rational thought in order to shield himself from uncertainties and his own insecurities.

In order to honor his mother, Darien had studied medicine extensively and was one of the youngest doctors in the city. This month would be his last month in his hometown before he was assigned to another hospital in another city. Darien had taken the letter of his assignment with no feeling, accepting the rational argument behind his transfer. His mentor, Helios, had been the main supporter to his transfer to go to another Metallic city, Horus. Horus was one of the biggest cities and held an enormous amount of potential for Darien. As a doctor at the main hospital, he would have access to research, technology, and medication that was not yet available at here. His father did not care what Darien did and so Darien felt he had no ties left. He would leave for Horus without a second glance in order to be a doctor his mother could be proud of.

As he walked on, he wondered to himself why he sometimes felt compelled to go out into the woods. It was dangerous and the city held specific rules and limitations about travel. But Darien felt peaceful in the quiet woods, away from the constant honking of cars and the pitter-patter of feet as people went hurriedly about their way. In the forest, Darien was, for the most part, alone. He never had to worry about anyone but himself. He could go back home whenever he wanted, but he found the quiet of the forest extremely healing for his mind. And that, was reason enough, he concluded. He looked up through the trees and saw the moon. Though it was beautiful, he still did not smile. He had not smiled in years and forgotten what it meant to smile and laugh. He looked down towards the river. Darien always made sure to pass the river whenever he was outside. For some unknown reason, he felt a pull towards the water, as if he expected something to come out. Shaking his head, he followed the river trail. As he followed his usual trail, he looked up and saw someone on the other side of the bank. It was a person who was lying face down, half of their body still in the water.

Quickly, Darien rushed over to the person and flipped them over so they could breathe. He then realized that the person was a girl. A woman in fact. She had scratches all over her body and a head wound that was extensive and deep. She was shivering because her clothes had mostly been torn away from her body, most likely from the currents. It seemed she had come down the river for a few hours, and Darien knew that up the river was a series of rapids, which most likely explained how she injured her head. He speculated that she had hit her head against the rocks coming down and he checked her pulse on her neck. It was very faint. Darien shed his jacket quickly and wrapped it around the mysterious woman. It was too big for her and went down to the middle of her thighs. He quickly zipped her up, not paying attention to her nearly nude figure. Absorbed with the task at hand to treat her, his rationality took over and he began the methodical process of tearing strips from his clothes to make bandages and temporary wraps for her head wound. Once he had made something that would stay and clot the wound temporarily, Darien scooped the woman in his arms and ran back towards the tunnel. Darien knew if she was not treated soon her body could go into shock and shut down.

Darien ran into his home and quickly took her to the bathroom. The woman was still unconscious as he removed his jacket and the wraps. He placed her carefully in the tub and began to fill it with hot water. He ran to his bedroom and grabbed his medical bag. Once he had thoroughly cleaned the wounds as much as he could, Darien once again began to treat her wounds, but with proper care and medication. After, he put one of his shirts on her and a pair of sweatpants. Both were too large for her, but he managed to tighten the pants as much as he could and he took her to his bed. He placed her under the covers and turned on the heating unit of his bed.

Finally, Darien had time to breathe and relax as he looked at the woman he had carelessly brought home. She was beautiful, even with the wounds. Her hair was silver, an odd color. Her figure slim and small, as was evident by the sheer size of his clothing on her. As he was wondering what to do with her, she groaned quietly. She began to move violently and Darien tried to hold her still so that her wounds would not reopen. He quickly turned on the soundproof walls of his room as he sensed that she was experiencing a particularly painful nightmare. Suddenly, she sat up quickly and her eyes opened. She screamed long and loud. Darien tried to block his ears, but that meant he had to let her go. Gritting his teeth against the painful echo, he quickly went behind her to surround her with his body. This would stop her from moving so much, and get him out of the direct range of her screams. After awhile, she stopped struggling and sunk back down in a slump. Darien sighed and looked down at the young woman in his arms. Whatever the nightmare was, it was gone now.

* * *

The morning sun came up and Darien awoke quickly from his slumber on the chair. He had faced it towards his bed to make sure nothing changed with his patient. He got up, stretched, and used one of his medical tools to do a scan of her body. Most of the wounds had closed quickly due to the ointments and her head injury would be fine in a few days. He did a scan on her brain, noting that a part had been damaged and it would take longer to heal. But he could not confirm what the side-effects of the damage until she woke up. And so, Darien took care of the poor woman in his room. He attached an IV to her to ensure she would have fluids and nutrients. He regularly cleaned and redressed her wounds.

Two days later, Darien was out on an errand for was not sure when the girl would wake up, but he wanted to be prepare for anything she would need. Darien had gone back to his office at the hospital and quickly filed his paperwork. He was almost off-duty at this point and only needed to come into work a few days of the week. He returned home in a disheveled state, trying to rush home to check on the girl's status again. It had been two days and she still had not woken up. He was concerned and considered taking her to the hospital. He stepped into his room and took out his scanner again. As he was about to start his regular check-up, her eyes fluttered open in a daze and he stared into the bluest eyes he had ever seen.


	3. Chapter 3: Raye Comes Home

Serenity woke up groggy with a headache still lingering. She turned and saw a man over her with what seemed a large pen in his hand. She jumped up and grabbed the blankets, dragging them with her as she tried to hide in a corner. The man came closer to her, holding his hands out.

"It's okay. You're safe here. I found you at the river bank a few days ago. Do you remember what happened?" the man questioned softly. His voice was comforting, Serenity realized. She shook her head and tried to explain her situation. Then she realized she couldn't speak.

* * *

Darien was trying very hard to calm his own heart down. She had first scared him by waking up, then by jumping away. He tried to calm her and himself down. After he asked her questions, he waited for her to try to answer. As he stared into her face, he saw a look of panic as she grabbed her throat.

* * *

Serenity tried to scream. But nothing came out of her throat. She looked at the man with wide eyes and began to tear up. She was so scared. She couldn't remember anything but a name. The name of Serenity. And now she could not talk. She collapsed on the floor, holding herself tightly and curling into a ball, the sheets going around her.

* * *

Darien realized she couldn't talk. "Most likely from the head injury," he thought. He did not know what to do. He had never been in this situation before. The woman had begun to cry and he had never been able to cope well with the emotional distress of others. He crouched down to look at her. She had hidden herself under the blankets and was softly crying within the sheets.

After a few moments, her head came out from under the sheets. Her eyes were bleary and red as they looked into his. He held out his hand slowly, half expecting her to cringe away again. Instead, she took his hand, her own hand shaking. He pulled her up and carried her back to the bed. He placed her on the edge so she could sit and he kneeled in front of her. She looked at him puzzled. Placing his hands on her knees, over the blanket, he looked up at her.

"Do you know why you were at the river?" he asked quietly. She scrunched up her face in concentration and after a few seconds shook her head. "Do you know who you are?" he asked. Again she shook his head. She took his palm and slowly wrote out the letters to her name with her finger.

"Serenity?" he asked. He had never heard of such a name before. She nodded. "Is that all you know?" he wondered aloud. She nodded and began to tear up again, realizing that not only could she not speak, but she had no memories either. Panicked, Darien quickly tried to comfort her saying, "It is okay. You will be take care of here. I have been looking after you. You were hurt when I found you at the river." He explained how he found her and what he had been doing for the past few days. "I am sorry that I had to undress you a few times, but I promise I did not do anything except clean your wounds," Darien apologized. Serenity looked at him and put her hands over her mouth, as if she was trying to giggle. Her shoulders moved up and down and her eyes glowed as she laughed without making a sound.

"How endearing," Darien thought. He felt the edge of his mouth twitch. Realizing this, he quickly stemmed the feeling of frivolity and put his hands on her shoulders. "Serenity, I don't know who you are, but since I have been taking care of you the past few days, I feel it is my duty to continue doing so until you are completely healed, memories and all. You don't know me either, but would you be willing to stay with me until you are fine?"

Serenity looked down at him, his eyes serious and dark. She wondered why he looked so lonely in his eyes. She looked down at her hands, then back at the man. She slowly nodded her head.

"Thank you," Darien whispered. He took her hands into his softly. "Oh yes, before I forget. My name is Darien. And this is my home."

* * *

"Mother, I am home!" A voice echoed throughout the small home. Raye dropped her pack, bow, and arrows near the foot of the door, expecting her parents to greet her. But no one came. Raye grew suspicious, and grabbed her dagger. Closing the door quietly behind her, she assumed a guarded stance as she walked around the house trying to find her family. But there was no one home. Raye was curious, there was always someone home. As she was about to go out to look for her family, her parents came in. Their faces were gaunt and worn-out. Her mother had obviously been crying and her father was comforting her, holding her up by the shoulders. They looked up and saw Raye.

"Mother, what happ-?" Raye started to ask before her mother threw herself onto her daughter. Luna's sobs grew louder, and Raye held her mother calmly. "Father, what has happened?" her voice quiet. Her mind was quickly working through the different possibilities that would cause her parents to break down.

"Serenity…She…She has gone missing," whispered Artemis. As Raye heard those words, she felt as if a bucket of cold water had washed over her.

"What do you mean she is missing?" Raye growled. The tips of her hair seemed to be moving on their own, as if an invisible wind was blowing around her.

"Raye, calm down. Your mother and I have been looking for days. Sit and help your mother before she collapses again," Artemis ordered quietly. Raye dragged her mother to a nearby chair, wanting to hear what had happened from her father. Once they were all seated, Artemis started to tell Raye what had happened in the last day. "Your mother went to wake up your sister a few days ago, but found her missing. We thought she had snuck out early to help out at the village, so we did not think much of it. But when she still did not come home for lunch, we realized something had to be wrong. I found some of her tracks leading to the forest and followed it. I found signs of a struggle and some horse tracks near a waterfall. But Serenity's footprints went to the other direction, away from the horse. She had run away, so she might have been attacked. I could tell that much from her pace length. But…her trail ended. It…" Artemis struggled to finish his sentence.

"What happened!" Raye was shaking. She knew the waterfall that her father was talking about. She knew that there was cliff nearby, but hoped that Serenity had merely gone deeper into the forest.

"Serenity's footprints ended at a cliff. I think she might have fallen off, or been pushed. There were signs of a male's tracks following her to the cliff but they turned back to the horse prints. I went down to where she might have fallen, but there was a river below. I think she might have been taken down the river. I want to follow the river trail, but I need to recruit some men from the village, make sure your mother is taken care of, and pack some of my own supplies. I was bringing your mother home after a village meeting. I leave in two hours. I can only hope we find Serenity's body before other animals get to it." Luna began to sob louder at her husband's words, and Raye rubbed her hand on her mother's back in a circle. Raye knew her mother needed her and she had been gone from the land for a while, but she was still an excellent tracker. Raye looked at her father.

"Father, let me help. Let me go and try it on my own." Her eyes were steeled. "You said there was another track of prints. I will follow those while you follow the river."

Artemis looked pained, knowing that if they waited too long, the prints could disappear by natural causes. He looked at Luna, and kneeled down to hold her hands.

"My love, what would you like Raye to do?" he asked.

Luna looked up, her lips quivering and her eyes red. "Let Raye help. I don't want to know what will happen to Serenity if there is not enough people to help." She tried to keep her voice from shaking, but she knew she was not fooling her husband or daughter. Raye looked at her mother, grateful for the chance to look for her sister.

"Thank you mother. I will be back with news as fast as I can." Raye stood up to leave. She grabbed her pack, and with her bow swung around her back, she quickly left the house to seek other volunteers.


	4. Chapter 4: A Sweet Beginning

Serenity watched as Darien undressed her bandages. Most were healed, but her head injury still gave her constant headaches and required a lot of attention. "His hands are gentle," Serenity thought to herself. Ever since she had woken up two days ago, he had been nothing but gentle and kind to her, never raising his voice and never losing patience with her lack of ability to communicate. She smiled at him tentatively, watching for his reaction. She noticed that he never smiled. He moved with a purpose, but there was never a glimmer of happiness in his eyes. He never talked about himself and only asked her clinical questions. Darien never pushed her about her lack of memories. Even though her lack of memories bothered her, she did not see a point to be stressed about something out of her control. If her memories came back, they would. As she watched him care for her, she tried to gauge her body's strength. She felt weak, as if she was missing some vital nutritional element. She felt a pull towards the outside, but did not have the strength to stand on her own feet yet.

* * *

Darien looked at Serenity's wounds, noting how it was healing nicely. His medical ointments were working quickly, and he was grateful his father was still in the hospital until the end of the week, at the very earliest. He did not want to bring stress to Serenity. Darien did not know why, but he felt strangely protective of the young woman. Her elegant body structure was appealing, and Darien was not a person to deny his attraction to her. As he was finishing unwrapping the bandage on her head, he looked to see Serenity's reaction to see if he was causing her pain. Her blue eyes looked into his and as if she knew he was trying to be as gentle as possible, she smiled serenely. It was a small tilt of her lips and the corners of her eyes crinkled. She brought her hand up to his face, and placed it on his cheek. Darien was startled. No one had shown him such pure affection in years. He pulled away slightly, looking away from Serenity.

* * *

Serenity was surprised at her own audacity to touch Darien. She did not even know him. But she wanted to show some way of gratitude and tell him she wasn't in pain. Serenity also wanted to see him smile. So when she put her hand on his cheek, she was only half-conscious of herself. But he pulled away, and she realized she might have offended him. She put her hand back in her lap, but still continued to stare at Darien. Looking at his side profile, she realized Darien was quite handsome. His black hair was cut neatly, with a little falling over his eyes. Even though he wore loose fitting clothes, Serenity knew he was strong because he always pulled his sleeves up to his elbows, showing how toned his arms were.

* * *

While Serenity was lost in thought, Darien got up to go to the shopping bags he had brought in from earlier in the day. He grabbed a pink bag, and held it out for Serenity, a slightly embarrassed look on his face. "These are for you. There is underwear inside. I wasn't sure what size you were, so I hope they fit. Let me show you the shower so that you can clean up and then change," he mumbled quickly. He had never shopped for women undergarments before, and had been so embarrassed in the store. He had also gotten her some basic necessities as well- some clothes, a toothbrush, shampoo, etc. He had not been sure how long Serenity would stay in his company, but he liked to be prepared.

As Darien walked to a small room, Serenity looked at his red face and tried to giggle. No sounds came out, but Serenity did not let that bother her. She looked at the bag and started blushing as well. But she knew he only had good intentions and was touched by how much he cared. "I wonder if he is this way with other women," she wondered. As quickly as that thought jumped into her head, she shook her head as if trying to get it out. What did it matter about other women? She was not Darien's wife. What he did was his own business. Serenity got up on shaky legs and tried to stand on her own. She wobbled a little and fell. "Why am I so weak?" Serenity made a frustrated growl and tried to push herself up by using the bed as leverage. Darien had come back after realizing she was not following and realized the problem.

"You don't have enough strength as of yet. I should have thought about that," he scooped her up neatly and Serenity almost squealed in surprise. As it was, a little squeak did come out. Darien carried her to the small room. It had all sorts of objects. Serenity looked confused at everything so Darien tried to explain. "This is a bathroom. I guess you don't remember what that is either. You wash your hands at the sink here, do your business on the toilet there, and can wash your body in the shower there." At every object, Darien made a gesture with his head. "Okay. Time for you to shower. I would leave you alone, but seeing as how weak you are, do you want my help? I promise not to do anything," he said quickly.

Serenity looked at him and nodded. She did not know anything here and was a little scared at the thought of being alone.

"Okay. Take off your clothes and wrap this towel around you," instructed Darien. He turned around and Serenity quickly did as he asked. When she had the towel wrapped around herself, she tapped Darien's back. He turned back to her and tried not to stare at anywhere but her face. He gestured to the tub and she stepped in. "Sit down on the stool. The tub is big enough to fit both of us. I am going to go behind you and wash your hair, so do not panic. Okay?" Darien asked. Serenity nodded and she looked into the "shower" and saw the stool he was talking about. She gingerly stepped into the tub, a little worried about what a shower was. Darien took a few deep breaths and stepped in behind her. He grabbed the showerhead and turned on the water. Serenity jumped away and tried to cling to the wall behind her. "It's okay. Look, it is just water. The water is warm. It won't hurt you," Darien said as he tried to comfort her.

With apprehension in her eyes, Serenity moved a little closer to feel the water with her hands. "It is so warm!" Serenity thought, surprised by this discovery. All of a sudden, a flash of memories came to her, memories of a river and of women gathered around the riverbank washing clothes. Serenity brought up a hand to hold her head, while her other clenched the towel tighter.

"Serenity! Are you okay?" questioned Darien urgently. He had quickly registered the pain in her eyes and while he was panicking inside, he tried to move slowly so as not to surprise her. Serenity had tears in her eyes, but she slowly nodded her head. Her eyes opened and looked at Darien. "What happened?" Darien asked.

Serenity made some gestures to her head and the water. After some time, Darien deciphered that she had regained a memory, and that she had never used a shower before. "I wonder…if she has never seen something as simple as a shower…could she be from the forest? Could she be a Ghost?" thought Darien. He could not confirm anything but it would explain why she was in the forest in the first place. "Do you feel better, Serenity?" he asked. She nodded and finally sat down on the stool. He proceeded to wash her hair, applying the shampoo and conditioner he had bought her. As he washed, he tried not to stare at her pale shoulders, how her body lines were as graceful as if someone had painted them on canvas, how her eyes were closed in contentment as the warm water washed over her. He tried not to notice how soft and silky her hair was, how relaxed her body had become, and how small and delicate she was. He methodically washed her hair, trying to ignore all of that. Once he was done, he gave the showerhead to Serena and started to walk out. She grabbed the back of his shirt, her eyes curious.

"I am going to leave so that you can wash the rest of your body. Sit on the stool as you scrub with soap and I am going to bring another towel and the bag for you to change clothes," Darien explained. Serenity nodded, scolding herself mentally for trying to keep him in the shower with her. Darien left the bathroom and closed the door behind her. He went to his own drawers and quickly changed out of his wet clothes, then collapsed on the bed. His heart was racing, though he could not figure out why. Serenity was his patient, and he should not be feeling anything toward her. He gripped the front of his shirt where his heart was and tried to calm himself down. After a few moments, he got the bag and towel as promised and placed them in the bathroom. Not looking inside, he shouted to Serenity, "I am going to go for food. I will be right back!" Darien grabbed any jacket, his wallet, and keys and ran out as fast as he could. He figured he just needed some air and time away from Serenity and he would be fine. "No matter how beautiful she is, she is my patient and I will take care of her," he promised to himself.

* * *

Serenity finished washing herself and felt very clean. Holding onto the bar on the stall, she stepped out and reached for the bag. While her legs still felt shaky, it was not as bad as before. If she concentrated, she could stand at the very least. She reached inside the bag and put on the clothes Darien bought for her, pulling out a simple black dress. It was a little tight around her chest but was very loose around her legs, ending at her knees. Her hair was still wet, so she put the towel around her shoulders so that her new clothes would not get wet as well. She slowly stepped back into the room and stood that the bathroom door, looking around the room. There were no pictures or sign of life. Besides the chair next to the bed, and a desk with papers and books, it seemed as if no one lived in the room. Serenity felt a small ache in her heart as she wondered how Darien lived such a lonely life.

She took slow steps back to the bed. She was already exhausted and felt alone without Darien's comforting presence. She looked toward the window and saw that the curtains were mostly closed. Serenity reached for the cord that would pull back the curtains and moonlight streamed in. Almost instinctively, she put her hand out so that the moonlight would touch it, and she felt strength streaming into her. She crawled toward the space of moonlight and sat cross-legged as more and more power flowed into her. Serenity felt almost like a new person, and when she got up, she realized she did not feel tired anymore. She was able to stand on her own! Jubilated, she experimented with how far she could push herself and jumped around the square of moonlight. Serenity ran around the house, opening all the windows and curtains. Almost as if she were a whirlwind herself, Serenity became more exhilarated as adrenaline pumped through her and the cool night air swept through the house. She came to another door and opened it, and realized it led to the outside.

Serenity stepped out gingerly for she had no shoes on and was becoming afraid again. Darien was not home, but surely the front of his home would be safe. With nothing blocking the moonlight from Serenity, she felt at peace and comforted. She walked to the grass and sat down. Closing her eyes, her hands fell open on her knees as if by habit. After a few moments, she opened her eyes again and looked around. There were other houses like Darien's, all in a row. She saw tall houses, short houses, and strange vehicles. But she saw almost no wildlife. Besides Darien's home, there were maybe three or four other homes that had grass in front. Serenity flopped down on the grass, and realized there were tears in her eyes. She did not know why, but seeing so little nature made her indescribably sad. She closed her eyes and as if she was in another world, she saw herself surrounded by trees and small bushes, and the sound of a waterfall was near. She could hear the laughter of children and the crackle of a fire. A woman with black hair called out her name as a man with white hair held out his hand for her. Without noticing, her hand had reached out in the real world, towards the imaginary hand. Serenity opened her eyes and saw golden flecks around her hand.

Keeping still, she slowly moved her head side and side and saw that the golden flecks were all along the grass. There were none near the houses, but where there was nature, there were flecks. She got up slowly and the flecks quickly flooded to where she had previous laid down. Her eyes wide, she watched as they moved slowly around her, as if they were dancing. She lifted her hands and they rose slightly from the ground. Serenity broke out into a smile and used her hands to direct the flecks in whatever direction she wanted. She swirled them back and forth, around her feet then around her hands. She began to build a tornado of flecks around her, and they shivered as if they were excited. Serenity let them sink slowly back into the ground and watched as flower buds came up from the ground and bloomed around her. She silently giggled and began to twirl around, not noticing that Darien had been watching her for the last few minutes.

* * *

Darien had come home with bags in his arms. He was still thinking about Serenity and was worried about her being in the house by herself. He walked as quickly as he could and came to his gate. As he was opening the small white gate, he saw Serenity out on the lawn. And she was beautiful.

As if she was an angel, Serenity was dancing in the grass. Which should be physically impossible for her, but she was. He could practically see the wings on her back. In her black dress, she should have melded in with the darkness but a light that seemed to be coming from inside her body surrounded her, illuminating her features. She was smiling widely and she moved her hands back and forth. Darien dropped the bags softly on the floor and watched as Serenity twirled. Then all of a sudden, flowers started to grow and bloom around her, even though he had never planted anything in his yard before. His mouth wide open, he made a startled gasp and Serenity turned around and saw him for the first time.

* * *

Serenity heard a sound behind her and turned around quickly. Seeing it was Darien, she gestured him to come close to her, still smiling widely. He walked towards her, as if in a trance. She held out her hand, the same gesture he had done to her when she had first woken up. Darien looked at her hand, confused. Patiently, Serenity waited until he finally touched the tips of his fingers to hers and slowly slid his hand against hers to grasp her hand entirely. Serenity came closer to Darien and grabbed his other hand, bringing it to her cheek. She closed her eyes and turned her face toward his hand, smelling his unique scent. It was of chocolate and sunlight. It was a warm scent, and made her heart beat faster.

* * *

Darien was not paying attention to his surroundings anymore. Never mind the fact that it was late and everyone else in the neighborhood was probably getting ready for bed. He could only keep his eyes on the silver-haired angel as she grabbed his hand. When she did that, as if by magic, he started to see golden flecks around his yard, surrounding her. Serenity had grabbed his hand to place it on her cheek, and this time, Darien did not flinch away. He was in awe of this young woman who had broken the laws of nature. He had just finished unwrapping her wounds and now she was dancing around as if she had not nearly died a few days ago. Darien turned his head to look at her again, away from the flecks on the ground, and she brought his hand to her cheek, inhaling his scent. He was so shocked he did not know what to do. All his previous thoughts of treating her like a patient flew out of his mind as he realized she was not going to make it easy.

She had opened her eyes again and was looking at him. She stared deeply into his sapphire eyes, and her eyes told him of how satisfied she was. She looked at him almost as if she loved him. "But that is impossible. It has only been a few days since she has been awake," he thought to himself. He looked back into her eyes and, still holding one of his hands, she gestured to the moon and then her legs. She jumped up and down, as if trying to prove to him how much she could move. Darien was confused as to how that was medically possible, but he could not deny that she had healed almost miraculously. He looked down at their hands that were together and he squeezed it. She squeezed his hand back, and started to take a small step towards him. He quickly leaned back and let go of her hand, as if he had been burned. He turned around to grab the bags he had previously dropped saying, "We should go inside. It is cold out tonight."

As he turned back to look at her, he saw a slightly wounded look on her features. She was hurt that he had rejected her so coldly. Sighing, he quickly tried to think of a solution. Holding all the bags with one hand, he reached for her hand again. "Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings," he said slowly. She shook her head and started to walk towards the door. "No really," he said as he pulled her back to look at him. "I am just not used to people touching me. Don't be sad," he begged.

She looked back to his face, gauging the sincerity in his words and made a sad smile. She shook her head again and placed her hand on his chest. Darien tried to slow his heart, nervous that she could feel how fast his heart was racing. After a few moments, she took her hand away and smiled as cheerfully as before, gesturing to the bags in his other hand.

"I bought us food. I figured you've been on the IV long enough and it's time to feed you some decent food," Darien explained. She jumped up and down in excitement, and started to pull him towards the front door. He almost chuckled, but caught himself in time. Straightening his face, he let himself be dragged by the small female into his home.


	5. Chapter 5: Promises Made

Raye had tracked the footprints for a day. They were obviously a man's footprints because of the track of the shoes as well as the size. The horse was a common breed. "So he must be from near here," Raye speculated. Filled with a fury for her sister's unknown fate, Raye moved quickly through the forest. Because of her training with her master, Jadeite, Raye was able to travel through the forest by jumping on tree limbs and avoiding other people.

As she traveled, Raye had time to think and worry. She worried about her sister, her family back at home, and herself. Raye had no doubt that she would find Serenity, but she wasn't sure what state Serenity would be in. "Serenity isn't dead. I would have seen it," she thought to herself confidently.

Raye had kept her own secrets from her family. She had always been deemed the responsible daughter, the one who had potential to do great things. But no one ever knew of the power she held within her. Fire had always fascinated her and Raye could spend countless hours looking into a fire. Slowly though, Raye realized that if she looked close enough she could see images within the dancing flames. More than a few times, Raye had been burned by getting too close to the fire. Though, instead of it being a scorching pain, the fire seemed to seep through her skin and comfort her. The burns would never stay longer than a few seconds, as though the flames had passed through her skin directly to her time, Raye realized the images she had been seeing had always seen visions of things to come and things that had passed. Whenever she had questions, the fire would give her vague images. She could only speculate what was happening in the flames, but it had not led her astray yet. Raye had actually seen herself wielding a bow and arrow in her hands facing some faceless enemy and so she had decided that she must learn to fight. Because of that image, she knew that she would come against someone evil and needed to be prepared. She knew how to use a bow because she had helped her father go hunting, but she had never received special training. So she had set out to join a weapons guild and learn to fight. And it was there in the guild she had met her teacher, Jadeite.

When she had first seen Jadeite, he was drinking with some others around a fire. They were laughing uproariously and making crude jokes about the townspeople around them. Raye, who had been tired from a long day's travel lost her temper and fired a warning shot near the men. Then she fired another one more through someone's canteen, shattering it. Liquid poured out of the destroyed canteen and she marched away. She had a satisfied smile on her face and was very content with herself. "That should teach them," she growled quietly. Raye knew she had a short temper, but those men deserved it, treating people around them like animals.

Suddenly, her arm was grabbed and she was dragged into the forest. She tried to wrestle out of the man's grip, but he was too strong. Preparing for battle, the moment she was let go of, she held her bow and arrow in ready position. But the man merely held his hands up.

"Calm down. I am not going to hurt you. I just want to talk to you." he said. His blonde hair was cropped short and he wore loose-fitting clothes. But they were made of high quality leather so she knew he wasn't just a regular person. He had scars all over his hands, a few small ones on his face.

"Then why did you drag me out here. And tell me the truth or I am going to shoot between you eyes and you won't be able to see it coming," Raye warned. The man clicked his tongue.

"Don't you know better than to underestimate your enemy? I guess that is one thing I am going to have to teach you as your new teacher."

Surprised, Raye's eyes widened. The grip on her bow slackened and the man grabbed it quickly before she could respond. "What do you mean, teacher?" she said in a low voice.

"I mean, I am going to your new teacher. You have skills, as is evident by my destroyed canteen, but they are very unpolished. I have not had a student in awhile and frankly, I am getting bored with all this drinking and caterwauling." Jadeite smiled mischeviously. He put his hand out. "My name is Jadeite, but you can call me Master."

"Over my dead body will I let a drunken lunatic be my master. I am going to join the weapons guild and find a real teacher!" Raye yelled at him. Jadeite put his fingers in his ears to prevent himself from going deaf.

"But I am a real teacher. Here, a crest from the weapons guild. On that note, I am actually the guildmaster, hence the gold lining around the crest," he said smugly. Too shocked to say anything, Raye just stared at the crest. She glared at the man, about to refute his offer but he quickly said "Young lady, I can help you develop the skills you need or you can keep searching for a master that will never be as good as me. I can promise you that."

Raye opened and shut her mouth, like a fish. She did not know what to say. Jadeite grinned, knowing he had won over the raven-haired beauty. "By the way, did I mention that I have never had the privilege of working with such a beautiful student? You're the very first, you should feel honored," he joked.

Raye said nothing. She handed back his crest and turned away, too angry to do anything else. As she walked away, she heard him yell,

"So I will see you at the nearby clearing tomorrow at dawn!" Not turning around, she held up her middle finger and continued walking. Jadeite smiled knowingly. He would be seeing her tomorrow, he knew it.

And so, Raye became his student, though quite reluctantly at first. But Jadeite had not bragged about his skills unknowingly. He was indeed very talented, and taught her how to use all sort of weapons. Though, she preferred her bow and arrow, she knew that having all sorts of knowledge never hurt. And so, years passed under his harsh training and eventually she was able to hold her ground against him in swordfighting. She beat him every time in archery, but he returned the favor when they practiced with the lance. Jadeite was a joking sort of fellow and liked to make light of every situation, and was very different from Raye who took everything seriously. Often, he would try to play pranks on her, but they almost never succeeded because he would end up falling over the trap himself. For a master swordsman, Jadeite had a serious lack of hand-eye coordination when he did not have a weapon in his hand and would often trip. It reminded her of Serenity so much, Raye could not help but laugh at him. Jadeite was very open with his emotions and liked to smile at everything and everyone, though when he was angry it took a very long time for him to cool down. Through the years of training and time spent together, they became fast friends.

On her last day with him, Jadeite told her, "Raye, you're ready for anything. I have taught you all that I know. Keep practicing the movements with the lance and sword, because they are your weakest points. But I am confident that you can hold you own against any man from now on."

"So what do I do now?" asked Raye.

"Well, that is up to you. Our guild could always use another warrior, or you can return home. You came here with a mission, remember?" Jadeite responded. Raye nodded and bowed to her teacher.

"Thank you for everything, teacher."

Jadeite took her hands in his. Staring into her eyes, he smiled. "You don't need to call me that anymore. I am just Jadeite now."

Raye nodded and looked down at their hands. For years, men around them had made jokes about their relationship. Jadeite never made any inappropriate actions against her and brushed the jokes away, but Raye had a gut feeling that he had always liked her. Which explained why he had approached her in the first place. After spending years in his presence, Raye had tried to keep their relationship very professional, only allowing contact during practice and lessons. She did not want to compromise her relationship with Jadeite, who she considered a wonderful friend, and she did not want to be held back by anything until she had faced her faceless monster.

As she was thinking to herself, Jadeite put his finger under her chin and tilted her head up to look at him. "Raye, I am not putting any pressure on you. I just want you to be happy."

"I know," she said quietly. She sighed and decided not to say anything. She did not want to make anything awkward between them. "I need to go back home. I am sure my family misses me." Jadeite nodded and his head moved to kiss her forehead lightly.

"May fortune bless you Little Flame," he whispered. Raye wrapped her arms around him in a hug, trying to hold back tears.

* * *

Raye shook her head, trying to stop her eyes from tearing. There was no point in crying about the past. She had learned all she could from Jadeite and needed to move on. She could not afford any distractions. "I promise I am going to find you Serenity," she whispered.

Looking down, she saw a single traveler in a woolen cloak riding a horse. She stopped, watching the man. She noticed the tracks had stopped and that he was making new ones. "Got you," she thought maliciously. Leaping from the trees, Raye dropped in front of the horse, causing it to rear in fright. The man tried to hold on, but he ended up falling off and on the ground with a thud. Raye held out her sword to his neck.

"Where is my sister…" she growled. Her eyes were as black as night, filled with rage. They promised eternal pain if she did not get the answers she wanted. The man held up his hands and tried to stand up. He winced and Raye noticed there were marks all over his arms, as if he had been whipped repeatedly.

"Who are you talking about?" the man yelled. "Now my horse has run off and I have no more supplies!"

"My sister, Serenity!" Raye brought the sword closer, making a scratch on his neck.

"Okay okay! Calm down! I don't know what happened to your sister, okay?" There was panic in his voice.

"What have you done to her?!" Raye screeched! She jumped the man and straddled him. His face was contorted with fear. The woman was seriously going to kill him!

"I didn't do anything! She fell off the cliff! I tried to stop her…" he protested. Raye stood stock-still, frozen on the spot. Suddenly she screamed and raised her sword, ready to kill the idiot man. All of a sudden, she felt hands stop her and she looked up ready to kill whoever was distracting her.

"Stop it Raye. Listen to his story first before you do anything you regret," said a memorable voice. Raye sunk back as she looked at the man who had taught her everything.

"Jadeite…"

* * *

Serenity watched quietly from the table as Darien chopped up vegetables. Her feet were swinging back and forth. Darien felt her eyes on him, but he did not react. Though he was being extra careful with the knife. Suddenly, Serenity stood up and the chair screeched slightly as it was pushed back. She came closer to Darien's side, wanting to see up close what he was doing. Darien stopped chopping and looked at her. She looked so adorable, with her eyes staring intently at the food. Serenity noticed he had stopped chopping and looked at Darien inquisitively. She then pointed to the knife, and then to herself.

"Are you sure?" Darien asked. He did not even know if she knew how to cut vegetables. She gestured to the knife again, impatient. Darien sighed. "Alright, but let me teach you first." He went behind her and put her hands under his. "You hold the onion like this, and move the knife up and down, up and down. Don't do it too fast or you might cut yourself," he warned. He helped her for a few more minutes, partly because he was worried and partly because he liked her scent. He sniffed her hair lightly so that she would not notice what he was doing. He moved away to look at the stew he was making, stirring it occasionally, and looking at Serenity to make sure she was okay.

She had a look of determination of her face as she slowly chopped up the onion. But her face got a little too close and she started to sniffle as the onion smell started to burn. Finally she finished, but her eyes were watery and red. She tapped Darien and pointed to the onion, rubbing her eyes with her hands. But that made the burn worse. Serenity could not figure out why she was crying. Darien quickly finished up the stew and put it to a low simmer so that it would not burn. He grabbed her hands and brought them to the sink so she could wash them. He grabbed a clean washcloth and soaked it in water, wringing it out after. Handing her a paper towel to dry her hands, he used the cloth to dab at her eyes. When she was no longer sniffling, he told her, "Cutting onions lets out a strong smell. When you rubbed your eyes with your hands, the onion smell made it worse."

Serenity nodded her head, and resolved to be careful around onion from now on. When Darien was done dabbing at her face, she grabbed his hands and put them on her cheeks again. She wanted to show how thankful she was, and figured he would not be comfortable with a hug. Darien looked down at her and tapped his forehead to her, understanding what she was trying to say.

"You're welcome," he said quietly. Then pulling away, he tugged her towards the table. "Dinner is ready, so let's eat."

After eating, Darien went to take a shower. Serenity followed him into his bedroom, not knowing where to go. When he went into the bathroom, she looked at the door with a puzzled expression. She could not figure out why she was feeling a certain way around Darien. Whenever she was around him, she felt happy and content. Her eyes followed him, but she wanted to look away whenever he looked back at her. She liked holding his hands and putting them on her cheeks to smell him. "I want to know everything about him. I wonder if I have ever felt that way about anyone before?" she wondered. Looking out the window, Serenity sighed as she saw the moon. It was the most beautiful thing she had seen, even though Darien's eyes were becoming a close match.

That was how Darien found her when he came out of the bathroom. Drying his hair with a towel, his eyes searched for her in the darkness of his room. He had always preferred to be in the dark because he found it easier to hide from the world that way. But when his eyes found Serenity standing in the moonlight looking out the window, he instantly decided that he preferred the moonlight. He wanted to keep her that way forever, looking happy and lost in thought. She made such a picturesque view, the simple black dress flowing around her. "She is so beautiful," he thought to himself. Shaking out his hair, he walked over behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. She turned her head slightly to look at him, and smiled. His lips tilting up slowly, and very slightly. Serenity's eyes widened as she realized this was the first time he had even remotely smiled at her. Darien still hadn't noticed his own smile and kept looking into her eyes. Still looking at him, Serenity brought his hands down her arms and wrapped them around her shoulders. Darien's head was now on top of hers, and she was able to tuck herself further into his embrace. Darien let her, wanting to keep the angel happy forever. Serenity turned back to look at the moon, saying a quiet thank you in her head to whomever was listening.

After a few moments of silence, Darien noticed her arms were getting a little cold. He felt her shivering every so often and decided that it was time for her to go back to bed. Unwrapping his arms, he took one of her hands and pulled her to the bed. She looked at him curiously, wondering what he was up to. Darien handed her his shirt and sweatpants, the ones she had been wearing before. "I am sorry that I cannot give you appropriate clothes right now, but we will go shopping for them tomorrow. I can't have you wearing clothes that are too big for you anyways," he murmured, not wanting to break the atmosphere of serenity around them. She cocked her head, wondering what "shopping" was and nodded. She went to the bathroom to change and when she came out, she headed straight for the bed. Darien had pulled some blankets from under his bed and was heading out to sleep on the couch, but Serenity tugged at the back of his shirt.

"Don't worry," he assured her. "I'm going to sleep on the couch in the living room. I won't be far." Serenity shook her head vigorously, her hair swinging around her. She pulled him towards her, taking him by surprise. He fell backwards, his head landing on her lap. Serenity smiled cheekily at him. She patted the space next to her, then pointed to him.

"Serenity, I can't share the same bed with you," he admonished. Serenity pouted. "It isn't right," he tried to explain and got back up. But this time, Serenity followed him. As he walked away from the bed, Darien saw that Serena was following him around, a pillow in her arms. "Serenity, you should sleep in the bed. It is warmer than the couch," he urged. But Serenity shook her head again and grabbed the back of his shirt.

"Serenity…" he scolded. Serenity went around him to block his path to the door. She grabbed his hand and put it on her cheek again. Tilting her head slightly, she looked up at him with big eyes, and Darien felt his resolve crumbling. "Fine," he sighed. Serenity's expression instantly lit up and she quickly pulled him back towards the bed. Darien pulled the blankets back and both he and Serenity crawled into the sheets. Tucking the blankets around her, Darien grumbled about disobedient patients and reached for a book on the bedside drawer next to him. He turned on the lamp so that he could read a little before going to bed. Darien looked at Serenity, expecting her to be asleep, but she had turned so that she was looking at him. When she noticed him looking at her, she gestured to the book he held in his hands.

"It's just a little bit of night reading. Do you know how to read?" he asked. She shrugged her shoulders. Darien wanted to hit himself. "Of course she wouldn't know, she doesn't remember anything," he reprimanded himself. Darien looked back at her and said, "We'll see if you know how to read tomorrow. I also need to scan your head injury. I think that is why you can't speak just yet because your brain also got damaged. If certain parts of your brain got damaged, it could be the cause of your memory loss and your inability to speak." He starting rambling about medical issues regarding the brain and Serenity brought the sheets up to her nose, smiling. "He probably doesn't know that this is the most I have ever seen him talk before," she thought as she giggled to herself. Feeling sleepy, she decided to indulge herself with one more thing. She brought her hand out of the folds of the blankets and held it out for him to hold. Darien stopped talking and looked down at her open hand.

Looking at her hand, Darien felt as if he was making a choice that would determine the rest of his life. He had grown up alone and expected to be alone. But now, he was with a beautiful young woman who was so full of life and wonder. Even though they had met under extreme circumstances, she was filled with vitality and innocence. She spread happiness around her, and he felt a bond with her that he had never felt with anyone before. By taking her hand, Darien knew that he would be making choice- a choice to protect her smile forever and to love her forever. If he rejected her simple gesture, she would be hurt and if _she_ wasn't enough, he might never open his heart to anyone else. He knew she would wait for him to show he loved her, never expecting and always open. Darien looked into her eyes, and seeing the pure affection that lay behind her beautiful blue eyes, he slowly put his hand in his. His fate was sealed, rationality be damned. This was the first irrational thing he had done in years, and as he turned off the lamp and put his book away to snuggle deeper into the bed, he still held Serenity's hand. Her hand was like a torch to him, warming him up and he wanted to hold her close. Serenity was his beacon of light and he would follow her forever now.

Serenity was still looking at him, and so he pulled her to him, tucking her head beneath his. She smiled against his neck and put her other hand on his chest. She snuggled closer, trying to get comfortable as his body heat surrounded her. Serenity felt so much happiness in her heart that it shouldn't be possible. She was so happy, and she started to tear. Even though she didn't know who she was and neither did he, Darien had taken care of her and shown her so much happiness. Now she felt as if he loved her, and she realized she loved him as well. Serenity wished in her heart that she could stay with Darien forever, even if she never remembered who she was. Making a small x over his chest with her finger, Serenity made a promise to herself to never let go of this man.

Darien felt Serenity making a small mark over his heart and looked down at her. "What was that for?" he asked quietly. Serenity looked up at him and smiled quietly. She shook her head, tucking her head back into his chest. Darien wrapped one arm around Serenity and brought their entwined fingers up to his face. He kissed her knuckles one by one, then slowly closed his eyes to go to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6: Calm Before the Storm

Early the next day, Serenity and Darien were out looking for clothes and other items for Serenity. Darien also needed to get ready for his move to Horus and was looking at different suitcases. Serenity had never seen so many colors before, and was constantly distracted by the items in the windows. She would run off if she saw something new and would put her hands and face against the glass. Darien had bought her new clothes, a pair of shoes, and a phone. He did not want her to get lost, and he made too much money for him to spend it all on himself. Before his father had gone off the deep end, Lucas had made quite a bit of money from patents and his research work. So Darien never worried about money, and quite frankly he could not resist spoiling Serenity. Her eyes sparkled every time he showed her something.

They walked hand in hand down the streets. Darien felt reassured that she would not get lost if she held onto him, though he was a little uncomfortable from the stares of other people. All of a sudden, he felt her let go of his hand and run towards a small cart. She was looking at a set of necklaces, both on long silver chains. The pendants were simple. One was of a sun, the other of a moon. Serenity was biting her lip looking at them, longing very clear in her eyes. Darien hurried to where she was.

The person who owned the cart looked at the couple. "Hi, my name is Lita. What can I do for you?"

"What are those two necklaces?" Darien asked. Serenity looked up surprised. She had not realized he had come over so quickly.

Lita smiled at the couple. "Those are a set of necklaces. They were made by the Ghost people, in a village not far from here. They use a specific technique to meld two metals together, to show unity. These were made for a couple, and according to tradition, the male wears the sun while the female wears the moon. The sun and moon are a pair that will last forever, and that ideal is passed on to the people who wear them," she explained. During her explanation, Serenity had looked at her with dreamy eyes. Then Serenity grabbed Lita's hands and shook them vigorously. Lita laughed and patted the young woman's head.

"You have a beautiful wife," Lita said to Darien. Looking at Serenity, she said, "It looks like you want those necklaces. I can give them for free if you'd like."

"No, no, it's not necessary," Darien protested. His heart tingled on the fact that Lita had called Serenity his wife.

"It's my pleasure. Not many people come to this cart. In exchange, please come visit my restaurant. My husband and I own it and I only come out here occasionally for some free time." Lita smiled at them both and handed Serenity the necklaces.

"Thank you very much," Darien bowed slightly. Serenity reached up and pecked Lita on the cheek. Lita laughed again and bid them goodbye. Turning towards Darien, she slipped the sun charm over his neck. Because he was so much taller than she was, he had to bend his back for her to reach. Quickly, Serenity gave him a kiss on his cheek as well. Surprised, he looked at her and saw she was blushing. He took the moon charm and put it over her neck. He held out his arm and she linked hers through his as they kept walking down the road.

Finally they arrived home with their goods. Serenity had bought a cookbook and was determined to learn some things. Darien went to put their stuff away in the bedroom and changed into comfortable clothing. Serenity was waiting for him in the kitchen when he came back out. She held the cookbook to her chest and pointed to the stove.

"First, we need to see if you can read." Darien gestured to the table and sat down on one of the chairs. She sat next to him and opened the book to a page on spaghetti. For an hour, Darien asked her if she recognized the words, and it seemed like she did. However, she had no idea what a measuring system was so he quickly showed her the different teaspoons, measuring cups, and pots she could use. After that quick cooking lesson, Serenity pushed Darien out of the room, resolute in her decision to cook a meal on her own. Darien shook his head, but went to his room to read some medical journals. "I am sure she'll be fine," he thought to himself.

Serenity was cutting up garlic and readying the vegetables. According to the book, it seemed simple enough. While she chopped and watched the boiling pot of water, she went over the day in her mind. Darien had bought so much for her. She felt a little greedy and wanted to pay him back. She still couldn't remember much, but when Lita had said "Ghost", there was a twinge in her heart. It seemed vaguely familiar. Also, she did not want to tell Darien, but her vocal cords were feeling a lot better. She still couldn't say words, but she could make subtle sounds. However, she did not want to show Darien until she was completely healed, that way she could surprise him!

She looked down at the necklace. It really was on a long chain, but it was so beautiful. She had really liked the aura surrounding the young woman Lita and wanted to go back to see her quickly. Serenity felt that she could become good friends with her. And while it was wonderful being with Darien, she wanted some female companionship. She did not want Darien to take care of her all the time and knew he needed some time to be alone as well. As she thought about her conversation with Lita, she blushed at the memory of when Lita called her Darien's wife. Careful of the knife, she put her hands to her flushed cheeks. "Do I really seem like his wife?" she wondered.

When dinner was finished, Serenity went to Darien's room. She knocked on the door and opened it a crack. He obviously hadn't been paying attention because his eyes were still glued to his book. Putting a hand over her mouth, she crept over to where he was. Darien had heard the door open and knew it was only one person. Making sure she thought he wasn't aware, he waited until she got near him. Then he turned around quickly and grabbed her. Surprised Serenity almost gave a shriek and she fell onto his lap. Darien's face was still set in stone, but his eyes were laughing. Serenity put her hands over her heart to show him how scared she had been and how fast her heart was racing.

"Hello little one. Is dinner ready?" he asked. She nodded and put her arms around his neck, tucking her head on his shoulders. "Did I scare you that much?" She nodded and he heard her sniffling. "I'm sorry! Please don't cry," he begged.

Serenity lifted her head and smiled broadly.

"Were you teasing me?" he asked, incredulous. He had really thought she was crying. Serenity nodded and quickly stood up. She ran away from him while Darien sat quietly in his chair thinking about how he had almost been tricked. "She will never cease to surprise me," he thought as he walked out of the room.

After dinner, Serenity went to take a shower and put on her new pajamas. It was a blue silk nightgown and felt like heaven. It flowed through her fingers and was cool to touch. She kept the necklace around her neck, loving the idea that she was somehow bound to Darien, even in a subtle way. After she crawled into bed, she quickly gestured to Darien to ask him for paper and pencil. He brought them over and sat down next to her. She scribbled away, showing him that not only could she read, she could also write.

"How old are you?" she wrote.

"I'm 24 right now. I will be 25 in a month," he replied.

"What do you do?"

"I'm a doctor at the hospital. But next month I will be moving to another city to be a doctor there."

"Will I be with you?" Darien paused at that question. He had not thought too deeply about her coming with him. Logistically, it might be a hassle and he knew he needed to help her find her family. But he wanted to her come with him. He shrugged.

"I want you to be happy. You can make the choice," he said slowly. Serenity nodded slowly and put away the writing utensils. She straddled his legs and brought her face very close to his. Unnerved, Darien tried not to move. Serenity looked into his eyes, as if searching for something. She held his face in her hands for a few moments.

"What?" Darien whispered. "Is there something on my face?" He tried not to breathe in her intoxicating scent. Serenity did nothing, but continued to look at him. After a while, she leaned forward to kiss his forehead. Then she leaned back and smiled at him cheekily and went back to her side of the bed. She pulled the blankets up to her eyes, embarrassed. Darien just looked at her. He could never get used to the amount of physical affection she showed him and was never quite sure how to respond. Serenity held out her hand and he put his hand in hers, sinking into the bed and fell asleep holding her again.

* * *

Raye had tied the man against a tree. She had put away her sword, not by her own choice of course. Jadeite had pointed out that if she held it out, there was a higher chance she could accidentally hurt the man before she got the answers she wanted.

"So. Who are you?" she started. The man glared at her, angry that he had been corralled like a wild animal. He grunted, saying nothing. Raye grabbed his throat, starting to choke the life out of him until he finally gave in.

"Name's Lionus," he choked out. Raye stepped back again.

"Do you know my sister, Serenity?"

"The witch who almost tried to kill me? Sure. I was going to marry her, but I have changed my mind. She can go burn for all the wickedness in her." Lionus still had the scars from the stupid grass vines and was bitter about her rejection to him. He was a moderately good-looking man who could provide for any woman. Serenity had no reason to reject him, and so he blamed it completely on her.

"What do you mean witch?" Raye asked quietly. Her voice was shaking with rage. How dare this man insult her beloved sister.

"She made the grass grow and trap me with its vines. If that's not witchcraft, I don't know what is," he replied haughtily. Raye said nothing, but inside she was shaking. Could her sister also be different? Was it a genetic thing? The fire had never showed her anything about Serenity's "abilities".

"What did you do to her?"

"I didn't do anything! She jumped off the cliff herself!" Lionus yelled. He could not believe he was being interrogated by a woman, and the man behind her still did nothing. His pride was being shredded.

Raye decided that he was telling the truth, which meant that her following him had been for nothing. Well...maybe not entirely. She would take him back to her village and let her father and the village chieftain deal with this trash. Raye knocked him unconscious with the hilt of her sword and loosened the ropes. Jadeite had a horse, so she draped the man over the saddle, tying him down. When she was finished, she looked to Jadeite.

"Thanks, Jadeite. I don't know what would have happened if you weren't here." Raye came forward to hug him. Their greetings had long been overdue.

"It's nothing Raye. I am just glad I stopped you from doing something you might regret. I missed you." He hugged her back, stroking her hair.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. Raye pulled away to look at his face. She would know if he were lying to her.

"I was traveling. Quite frankly, it got boring at the guild without a student to teach so I wanted to go explore the forest a little. Maybe meet up with some long-lost friends," he replied. He winked at her. Raye shook her head, laughing a little. Only Jadeite could make her laugh in these situations.

"Can you help me bring this man to justice? I am going to take him to my home and have my father deal with him."

Jadeite brought her closer, hugging her again. "I will always be with you Raye."

Raye and Jadeite brought the man Lionus to her home. Thankfully her father was also there, back from his own search. It had not been fruitful and Luna had collapsed out of sheer emotional exhaustion. Raye brought the man Lionus to his knees before her father and explained what he had told her, minus the "witch" part. Artemis went to go grab the chieftain. Leaving Lionus under the watch of the other villagers, Raye took Jadeite's hand and dragged him to the waterfall.

"This is where she supposedly jumped," she gestured to the cliff. "The river goes down that way. I need to follow it in order to find her."

Jadeite said nothing. He merely looked down the cliff and thought about the chances of Serenity's survival. Raye had talked a lot of her younger sister and Jadeite felt as protective of her as Raye did. He loved Raye and wanted to help her as much as possible. But he also knew that right now was not a good time to profess his love to Raye. She was too distracted and he told himself that he would wait until Serenity was found to tell the love of his life. Jadeite turned to Raye and nodded.

"You know this land better than I do. I will follow you and help you."

Raye had tears in her eyes as she thanked her old teacher and friend. She knew his tracking expertise would come in handy and she did not know what dangers they would face in the woods. At least, if they were together they had a better chance. "We will leave tomorrow. We need to rest and get supplies. The village will also make a decision on Lionus tonight so we should be there for that," she said. She started to walk away, back to her village. Jadeite caught up to her and walked beside her.

"Jadeite?" she said.

"Yes, Raye?"

"Thank you."


	7. Chapter7:Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Serenity was home alone. Darien had gone to the hospital for work and she wanted to experiment a little more with the cookbook. Darien had urged her not to go outside and play in the front yard, because he was not sure what would happen if the neighbors saw her making flowers grow from what seemed like nothing. So instead, he got her a potted plant that played with. The small amount of flecks around it danced around her fingers as she made the plant grow and shrink. Sometimes she thought she heard whispers in her head, but she usually could ignore them. She put the plant on the middle of the kitchen table so that she could keep on eye on it while experimenting with different recipes.

It was around lunchtime when she heard the door opening. Not expecting Darien back so soon, she peeked from around the corner. However, it was not Darien. It was an older gentleman, someone who was wheezing and staggering around with a cane in his hand. He suddenly fell on his knees. Serenity rushed out to help the man, grabbing his arm to pull him up. But the man refused to move, and instead grabbed her arm. He glared at her.

"Who are you, and what are you doing in my house?" the man rasped out. His eyes were sunken in, but she could see the anger. She tried to pull him again to lead him to the couch, but he pulled her down.

"Are you a thief?! Well over my dead body will you steal something from my home!" the man yelled. He started hitting her with his cane. Not caring about what bruises he was giving her, he tried to hit her as hard as he could. He would protect his home from thieves, and this girl had somehow found her way inside. Serenity tried to pull away now, afraid of the old man. She wrenched her arm away, holding it close to her as she ran to the kitchen. Memories of another man grabbing her arm flooded in, and she felt the same emotions of panic again. The man followed her to the kitchen, still waving his cane. He brought it down on the table blinding, destroying her plant. Serenity was crying now, both from the pain of the cane and the loss of her companion. She tried to slip past him, but got hit in the process. Serenity ran to the bedroom, locking the door behind her. She could hear the old man hitting the door, trying to get him. She ran to hide under the bed, sobbing as she did so. There were bruises on her arms, and those were the only ones she could see.

For hours, there was banging on the door. The old man would come back and forth every so often, yelling at her to get out, asking who she was, trying to break the door down with various objects. Thankfully Darien had gotten rid of anything heavy years ago, learning from his past experience with his father's drunken habits that anything could be used as a weapon. So there was not much Lucas could do. Serenity stayed under the bed, shivering in fear. Memories of the other man kept replaying in her mind, and she could not ignore them and the old man yelling at her. The other man….Lionus? He had called a witch. She could not remember his face completely, but she did remember his grip. She had not wanted to go with him and there was grass everywhere. Serenity clutched her head with her hands as other memories streamed in, not in any particular order. There were faces of other men, ones with kind faces and ones with cruel faces. She was in a forest, surrounded by trees all the time. The men pulled her, and she always fought back. A man with white hair or a woman with flowing black hair was also there. She remembered called out to them, feeling safe around them.

Finally there was quiet. Serenity heard another voice join the angry man's. Relaxing at the familiar timbre of Darien's voice, she was crawling out from under the bed when Darien opened the door with a spare key to go into the room. He rushed over to her, helping her up. She winced as he touched some particularly painful bruises.

Darien had come home to chaos. He heard his father yelling, and feared for Serenity. He had not expected his father to come home so early from the hospital. He had run inside, and seeing his father trying to break the bedroom door down, he had grabbed his father and dragged him to his own room. Darien sedated his father and hooked up a heart monitor to him to check his state of health. Confirming that his father would be sleeping for a few hours, Darien ran to his own room and once he opened the door he saw Serenity crawling out from under the bed. Not bothering to turn on the lights, Darien rushed over to grab her and he noticed she winced at his touch. Carefully, he sat her down on the bed and turned on the lights. He saw bruises on her arms and red marks, familiar marks. Enraged, he stomped to the bathroom, knowing her wounds would need to be taken care of first before his father. As gently as he could, he rubbed the ointment on the bruises he could see. He tried not to look at her face as he apologized.

"I am so sorry. I did not know he was coming home today. I am really sorry, Serenity," he kept apologizing. Once he was done with the medication, he stood to leave but she grabbed his hands. He finally looked at her. Her face was tear-stained and there were tears in her clothes. Her hands were shaking, her hair wild. But she was smiling at him. Guilt-ridden, Darien tried to leave but she held onto him. Serenity put her hands on his cheeks, her usual sign of thanks. Then she came forward and hugged him as tight as she could. She was very obviously shaken. Darien had been scared out of his mind once he realized she had locked herself in the room and wanted to make sure she was still in one piece. He hugged her back, making a mental note of her physical state.

Serenity was so glad Darien was back. She wanted his warmth, to hear his heartbeat. She started to cry again, completely overwhelmed from the mental trauma of the day. Darien only held her quietly, still apologizing. After she calmed down, Serenity gave Darien a shaky smile.

"Serenity, my father won't be awake for a few hours. Do you want to go out to eat tonight? We can go to the shopkeeper's restaurant?" Darien suggested. He did not want her in the house right now. There would be some emotional scarring and he wanted Serenity to feel safe again. She nodded and left to wash her face and change her clothes.

They walked hand-in-hand back towards the street where they had met Lita. Darien had gotten her business card before they had left and knew where to go. He guided Serenity inside the restaurant called "Roses".

Inside, there were vines along the walls. On every table was a small vase with one or two roses, and the setting was classy and modern. There was quiet music and it was full of people, mostly couples. Darien went up to the hostess and asked for Lita. She nodded and went to go find her boss. A few minutes later, Lita came out in a chef's uniform.

"You two! I am so glad you could make it!" she gushed. Lita grabbed Serenity's hands in hers and shook them vigorously. Serenity reached up to kiss Lita on the cheek.

"If it is possible, can we get a table for two?" Darien asked.

"Why don't you join my husband and I for dinner? He and I are going to take a short break right now. It's in the kitchen so it's a little hot, but I would love for you two to meet my husband," suggested Lita. Darien looked to Serenity, who nodded. She wanted to talk more to Lita, her second friend.

Lita led them to the back of the restaurant, and it was indeed hot and boisterous. Chefs-in-training, waiters and waitresses, sous-chefs and so many other were moving quickly. Lita led them past the chaos to a little table. Her husband was already seated. Lita reached over to kiss her husband on the cheek.

"Lita, who are your guests?" he asked. His voice, Serenity noticed, was quiet. His clothes were casual and he had a relaxed posture.

"My name is Darien, and this is Serenity. We met your charming wife yesterday as she was selling jewelry at her chart. She gave us the sun and moon charms," Darien introduced. He reached out to shake the other man's hand.

"My name is Nephrite. Well I am always glad to meet Lita's friends. I am always telling her to go out and meet new people instead of just staying in the kitchen all the time," he joked.

Lita smacked her husband's shoulder lightly. "They need me here, Mr. Owner."

"Co-owner, Mrs. Owner," he replied back, kissing her hand. They smiled at one another. Darien coughed lightly. Serenity had stars in her eyes as she stared at the couple who was so obviously in love. A person brought some food over and they all seated themselves around the table.

After dinner, they sat around the table still talking. Dinner had been wonderful and Darien had constantly complimented Lita on her cooking. Nephrite sipped his wine slowly, watching Darien and Lita talk continuously.

"So Darien, what is the story between you and Serenity?" Lita asked. The two in question looked at each other. Darien took Serenity's hand in his, and she smiled broadly at him.

"I actually just met her. I found her alone and injured and brought her to my home. I am a doctor at the hospital nearby." Darien did not want to tell them that he had found her outside the city walls.

"You just met her? Lita tells me you're married," said Nephrite skeptically.

Serenity waved her arms around, trying to explain the situation.

"Actually, we're not married. Though sometimes it seems like it," Darien said. Lita looked in Serenity's direction.

"Serenity, are you alright?" asked Lita.

"I found her with a head wound. She doesn't have most of her memory and she has lost the ability to talk," Darien explained.

"Oh you poor thing!" Lita exclaimed. She grabbed the attention of a nearby chef and made a few gestures. He nodded and quickly brought over a few pieces of cake, some cookies, and 4 small bowls of ice cream. Serenity watched with wide eyes. "Here," Lita said as she gestured to the food. "Eat up. I am sure Darien has been taking great care of you, but you need to take care of yourself too. I am sure that the memories will come back slowly, but you should enjoy the time you have now."

Serenity nodded as she scarfed down the desserts. Darien merely chuckled and let her have her way with the food. After dinner and saying goodbye to Lita and Nephrite, Darien and Serenity started to walk home.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" Darien asked. Serenity nodded fervently, jumping up and down and gesturing how much she had enjoyed herself. "Would you mind if we took a little detour?"

Serenity looked at Darien questioningly, but shook her head. She wanted to stay awake with Darien as much as possible and learn about him. As they walked, Darien told her about his parents.

"When I was young, my mother passed away. She was in an accident and we learned that she had a terminal illness. After she died, my father lost his will to continue living and turned to drinking. He used to turn violent when had drank too much. But now, he is not doing well anymore and he is almost always at the hospital. I am not apologizing for his behavior, but I hope you won't hate him."

Serenity only looked at Darien, tears in her eyes. He had grown up so alone, and her heart went out to him. It explained so much, but she could see the warmth of his soul. She leaned against him, trying to comfort her as much as she could. Darien knew what she was doing and squeezed her hand.

They reached their destination, the crack that Darien always snuck out of. Serenity pulled at his arm and pointed to the crack.

"This leads to the outside world," Darien explained. "I was outside of here when I found you by the river. The other side is the forest and is full of trees and wildlife. I wanted to take you there because I feel like you miss nature."

Serenity opened her eyes wide and quickly slipped through the crack, pulling Darien after her. She wanted to see if the outside world was anything like the fragmented memories coming back to her.

Once outside, Serenity took a deep breath. There was almost a different between city air and forest air. She took her shoes off, holding them in one hand. Feeling the earth with her feet, the moonlight shining on her, Serenity felt like she was floating. Darien watched as her shoulders relaxed, her silver hair blowing gently in the wind. Her eyes were closed as her face was turned up to the moon. He was still holding her hand when he started to notice the golden flecks again. He followed them with his eyes as they floated calmly around them. Then all of a sudden, they started to condense, as if making a trail. Darien nudged Serenity. She opened her eyes and also saw the flecks again. She felt a pull towards the path they were making and she moved to follow them. Darien was curious about what they would lead to and followed Serenity.

They came upon the river and started to follow the trail. Darien recognized it as the trail he had always taken. Baffled, he watched the flecks disperse behind them but still consolidate in front of them. Serenity did not look shocked and they came upon the place where Darien had dragged her from the river. The flecks then completely went away, as if this had been their end goal all along. Serenity turned in circles, trying to understand why they had been brought here. Darien sat down on the riverbank. After a few moments, Serenity gave up and sat down between Darien's legs. He wrapped his arms around her, trying to keep her warm. They said nothing, just looked at the stars and the moon. Darien swore he had never seen the stars so bright before.

Serenity was confused. The flecks had led her here, and the whispers in her hand kept saying "she's coming, she's coming". "Who was coming," Serenity wondered. She shook her head, trying to get the voices out. Darien only pulled her closer, and Serenity realized she could feel his heart pounding through her back. Suddenly distracted by Darien, the voices in her head quieted as she turned around to look at Darien. He was looking up towards the moon and so she pulled his head down to look at her. He smiled a small smile.

Emboldened, Serenity put her hands on his neck. He shivered at how cold her fingers were. Still he did not move. She moved closer, and placed her forehead on his so that their eyes aligned. Their breathes were coming faster, as if they realized what was coming. Closing her eyes, Serenity closed the distance between their faces and kissed the love of her life.

There were stars behind his eyes. Her soft, warm lips were caressing his. Darien had certainly been kissed before, but he had never felt like this. Darien lifted his arms to wrap around her, bringing her closer to him. She sighed quietly as she pulled back slightly. But he did not like that. This time, Darien reached for her lips and he moved his hands up and down her body as he kissed her deeply. They were running out of air so Serenity opened her mouth to breathe. Darien took that opportunity to put his tongue in her mouth and she gasped in surprise. She did not know kissing could be like this. She wrapped her arms around his neck, reacting in the only way she could.

Suddenly, they heard a cry in the dark.

"Serenity?!" A young woman came out of the forest, a man with blonde hair next to her. Serenity pulled away from Darien's kisses as she recognized the beautiful woman from her memories. The woman came over and grabbed Serenity from Darien, and he was so surprised he could not react. She held Serenity in her arms as she pointed a sword to his neck.

"Who are you?" she growled. Darien tried to reach for Serenity, ignoring the young woman. But she started to walk away, pulling Serenity with her. Afraid for Serenity, Darien got up to chase after the woman but the man said, "Don't move. Or I put an arrow through you." His arms were poised with a bow in his hands. Serenity pulled away, standing in front of Darien.

"Serenity, what are you doing"?" the young woman asked. Serenity tried to gesture that Darien was safe, that he would never hurt her. "Why won't you talk to me, sister?" the woman begged.

Darien reeled back in shock once he heard those words. The word sister repeated in his head. This was Serenity's family, he realized. He saw the resemblance now between the two women. While they had different coloring, their facial structures were similar. Now he had to make a choice. Keep Serenity with him or let her go to live with her family. With him, she would have to deal with his violent father and he was sure she would never want to stay with a man like him. She liked him because he had rescued her, but that was probably it. Just because he felt a bond with her, it did not mean she did. He wanted Serenity to be happy, and with her family she would be surrounded by love. He had to make this easier for her, so that she could turn without a second glance.

Raye was confused. She had finally found Serenity, but with a strange man. Raye had thought the man was attacking her little sister, but maybe not. And the biggest mystery of all, why wouldn't Serenity talk to her? Raye still held her sword out against the man, but Serenity was in the way. Jadeite was also looking at her, trying to see what Raye wanted him to do. Raye slowly brought her sword down.

"Sister, what is wrong?" she asked.

The man responded. "She can't talk."

"What do you mean?" asked Jadeite.

"I found her here at this river a week ago. When I found her, her memories were gone and so was her speaking ability." His eyes were cold. Serenity had turned around to look at him, but she had never seen his eyes so cold. He looked at her, and there was not a hint of love that she had seen in his eyes just a few moments ago. "You've found your family now," he said. His voice gave her chills. Serenity reached out for his hand, but he pulled away violently. "Good riddance. I thought I would have to care for you forever," he said loudly. Serenity felt as if he was jabbing her heart. Where was the warmth she had always felt from him? He looked towards Raye.

"Take her with you. She has been nothing but trouble. Now that you're here, you can take her away from me," he shouted loudly. He did not want to look at her, to see the tears he knew she would be spilling and to see on her face the hurt he was causing her. He turned around on his heels, to the direction of the city. She grabbed his hand, and he could hear her gasping back her tears. His heart broke. He did not want to hurt her like this, but she should be with her family, not a stranger. If he was cruel, she would not feel guilty for making a decision between her family and him. And he would not be able to take it if she chose her family over him, even if he understood why. He shook her off of him, and she collapsed on the ground. She was sobbing violently, her shoulders shaking. The blonde man came forward, carrying Serenity in his arms.

Raye said nothing and watched as the black-haired man walked away. Jadeite came to Raye with Serenity in his arms. Raye stroked her sister's hair softly, trying to comfort the distraught woman. She nodded towards Jadeite, and they started the trek back to the village. As she heard her sister's sobs, Raye had to wonder, "Did I do the right thing?"


End file.
